


After the war

by Apple_Queen



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-08-01 11:46:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16284032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apple_Queen/pseuds/Apple_Queen
Summary: The war has ended...Jaime has been elected King and is showing his leonine side... Brienne is pining and planning her escape... Tyrion has taken on meddling matchmaker duties along with those of the Hand of the King...





	After the war

**Author's Note:**

> A brief set up: This takes place in an imaginary world post getting rid of all the white walker nasties and Cersei. Jon and Danaerys are also RIP. I won’t be getting into how all this came to pass. I know it’s an unlikely outcome for the saga but I can dream... Please don’t read if any of these deaths will upset you.

Brienne hadn’t thought the war ending would be so stressful. It wasn’t that she wasn’t happy for Jaime, in fact quite the opposite. Whenever she thought of him, which was now almost constantly, she still felt that same overwhelming sense of pride that had filled her when the great hall had rung with cries of “Ser Jaime for king!” But since that day just a short week ago, she had started to see why the Lannisters were called lions. Even on the battlefield, or when she was still learning to fight as a child, she had never felt so much like a tiny defenceless animal being stalked by a predator. Everywhere she turned, it felt as if Jaime was there waiting for her with a hungry expression on his face, trying to speak to her alone. And that was something Brienne most definitely wanted to avoid. She thought back wistfully to before the end of the war, to the couple of stolen kisses they’d shared, and silently agreed to leave to discuss on the unlikely event they both survived. She was still unsure how the kisses had happened, but she knew they would number amongst her happiest memories for ever more. That was why she couldn’t risk speaking with Jaime alone now. There were only two ways she could see the conversation playing out, both of which would ruin her happy memories. Either he would say sorry, it had been a mistake, and of course she would understand he had to choose a wife who could be a Queen. Or, what might break Brienne’s heart even more, he might pretend their secret kisses had never happened and ask for her support in his reign, perhaps in his kingsguard. Quietly watching his happy life with whichever beautiful woman he chose would make Brienne wither away to nothingness. The far preferable option to either of these conversations in Brienne’s eyes was to avoid him until Lady Sansa released her from her vows then slink away to Tarth and keep herself too busy there to spend all of her time pining for him. 

All the way from the great hall to her room she continued her mulling, until she started to hear quiet voices in the distance. She paused to listen. “Lady Sansa would make an excellent Queen. Marrying her would cement the ties with the north and help to stabilise the country. You must admit that she is a beautiful woman.” Brienne’s felt the dropping sensation in her stomach that she’d only felt before on the few occasions she’d fallen from her horse. She had known that Sansa would be the obvious choice, but to hear Tyrion setting out the benefits so simply somehow made the marriage seem real and inevitable.

“Why don’t you marry her again since you think she’s so beautiful?” Replied Jaime, sounding as if this was far from the first time they’d had this argument. Realising that their voices were getting louder, Brienne turned back the way she’d come. “Sorry Tyrion, I have to go...” she heard some way behind her. She sped up and burst back into the great hall just in time, sinking gratefully into the last space on a bench next to Pod and Bronn.

“I thought you were going to bed my lady?” Asked Pod.

Brienne grumbled something about changing her mind about staying for a drink and made a grab for the jug of ale on the table. The conversation flowed around her but Brienne couldn’t bring herself to contribute in spite of Pod’s worried glances. Eventually, she came to a decision. This had gone on long enough, she needed to leave the north.

“Pod, will you accompany me to speak with Lady Sansa please?” Brienne ignored the twinge of guilt at ruining her squire’s comfortable evening with his friends, Jaime had left the hall and she didn’t want to risk accidentally meeting him in the corridors again.

—————

It took most of the walk to Lady Sansa’s rooms for Podrick to build up the courage to question her.

“Why are you avoiding him?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Replied Brienne stubbornly.

“Ser... King Jaime... And I wish you would tell me what’s making you so unhappy.”

Although Brienne was touched that Pod cared, he had started as an astonishingly incompetent squire but she now counted him among her closest friends, her feelings were absolutely not going to be shared with anyone. “I’m not unhappy, why would I be- the war has ended...” Thankfully, they reached Sansa’s door before he could pry any more “just stay here.”

Brienne had thought the day couldn’t get much worse, but what she saw when she pushed the door open changed that. Jaime sat next to Sansa, they both looked uncertain. Although he dropped it as soon as he saw her, Brienne still caught a glimpse of Sansa’s hand in his. Jaime looked from one to the other of them confusedly then started to rise. Brienne whirled round, ignoring the “Brienne, wait!” he threw after her and started back for her room as fast as her legs would carry her, Pod half jogging behind. 

——————-

The day hit a further new low when she sent Pod away and entered her room to find an unwelcome visitor sat on her bed, swinging his short legs. Tyrion looked anxious but Brienne had neither the time or the energy to deal with anyone else’s problems at the moment.

“What do you want?” She asked bluntly.

Tyrion sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I need your help, they both listen to you.”

Brienne turned to prod at her fire, trying to look as unhelpful as possible in hopes he’d leave her alone sooner.

“Jaime needs to marry Sansa, it is the logical choice for him and the country. But he is saying he won’t have her, and now she is starting to say maybe she won’t have him. I don’t know what to do, I’m at my wits end. Please can you speak to them?”

Brienne closed her eyes in resignation. The gods were cruel to send the brother of the man she loved to ask her to help him arrange his marriage to someone else. At least she could get rid of him quickly now.

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I’ve just seen them together, they looked like they’d come to... an understanding.”

Tyrion’s eyebrows rose with surprise. “What were they doing?”

“Holding hands” she said sourly.

Tyrion sighed. “If that’s true then that’s a relief, although I must admit I am surprised- Jaime seemed so against it.” He gave her a measuring look, probably taking note of the defeated look in her eyes. “I’ll take my leave of you, thank you lady Brienne. Don’t worry, he’ll take good care of Lady Sansa.” Brienne almost laughed at his interpretation of her feelings. 

——————-

Brienne spent a restless night tossing and turning. She had to get out before she completely lost her mind. The sight of the back of her door that he’d pushed her up against the second time he’d kissed her made her want to cry and she couldn’t get the image of him holding Lady Sansa’s hand out of her mind. 

She rose early and, seeing Jaime in the great hall eating breakfast in the depths of a serious looking conversation with Ser Davos, fled back to Lady Sansa’s rooms. She was still in her nightgown but she received Brienne anyway and listened patiently to Brienne’s pleas to be allowed to return to Tarth to deal with crops killed by frost and floods from melting snow. Of course Brienne would return the moment Lady Sansa needed her but otherwise, she anticipated being needed in Tarth indefinitely. 

Sansa smiled gently “I cannot keep you here if you are needed in Tarth. My family and I are grateful for your service. But Brienne... is there anything else behind your need to leave so suddenly?”

“My father needs me...” the half lie grated on Brienne. Her father had needed her for years, but she had received no word to indicate he needed her any more now than he had a month or a year ago. 

Sansa nodded and dismissed Brienne. She heard her turn to her maid as she left “I need to send a note to the King immediately.”

——————-

Podrick almost cried when she told him she planned to leave that day. He helped her to pack her things and some supplies, trying to bring up the same topics he’d tried to discuss with her the night before but she shushed him each time. Brienne couldn’t bring herself to refuse him when he begged for one last spar though.

“I’ll just go and get my sword then come back here for you?” Asked Pod. Brienne nodded, grateful that he seemed to finally understand her reluctance to wander the castle alone.

The small room seemed strangely bare, even without her meagre belongings. She deliberately faced the window to avoid looking at and daydreaming about that door. Pod seemed to be taking a long time, Brienne was just starting to think about risking going to look for him when she heard the door open.

“I’ve told you to knock Pod” she said tiredly and turned to look at him. It wasn’t Pod.

“You’ve been avoiding me, and now everyone is telling me you’re leaving. Weren’t you even going to say goodbye after all we’ve been through together?” Jaime sounded hurt. Brienne couldn’t help staring at him, drinking him in greedily and trying to commit every feature perfectly to memory. He would always be the most handsome man in the world to her and this might be the last time she saw him.

“Who told you?” She asked, choosing to ignore his question.

“Sansa sent me a note and Podrick just ran to find me as if he was being chased by a dragon.” He walked closer but Brienne circled around him, trying to reach the door before he started one of the conversations she dreaded.

“Brienne, I can’t do this without you.” He said, sounding desperate but with a predatory glint in his eye.

“You know I’ll always be your friend.” Brienne took a backwards step closer to the door but Jaime took two closer to her.

“I don’t want you as just a friend.”

“An advisor then.” She offered, Gods- this was why she hadn’t wanted to have this conversation. She would never be able to deny him whatever he wanted from her. They continued inching towards the door.

“I have enough of those.”

“I could join your kingsguard.” The feeling of being stalked by a predator had never been stronger.

Jaime gave a sardonic grin as he stepped ever closer “I have something different in mind for you.”

“I don’t think I’d make a very good hand, but if that’s what you want...” Brienne felt the cool wood of the door behind her.

“You would make an excellent hand, but I’ve already promised that to Tyrion.” Jaime was barely a step away from her now, he closed the difference and his hand slowly rose up to her cheek. Brienne’s breath sped up, this felt distinctly like the last time they’d been in her room together.

“What do you want of me then?” She whispered, the sinking feeling in her stomach telling her he was about to ask her to become his mistress.

“I want you as my Queen. No other woman will do.” Their third kiss was slower than the first two but it held just as much passion. 

Brienne broke it with a sob “I can’t, just look at me, how could I be a Queen!”

“I think it’s time that we make some changes to what a Queen is... In my eyes, the only requirement is to love and be loved by her King. You’re the only queen for me, I don’t think I can even accept the crown without you as my Queen.” Brienne dropped her head to his shoulder, not sure whether to laugh or cry. She had never even allowed herself to dream that this might happen. “You can’t really say no, I’ve even used more tact than I knew I had to smooth things over with Lady Sansa after all of Tyrion’s meddling.”

Brienne decided against laughing or crying, settling instead on a fourth kiss and wondering if the Starks would part with their door.

Some time later, when Brienne had lost count of their kisses, a loud knocking started on their door. “Brienne, I know you’re in there! You have to come and help me- Sansa says they’ve agreed they wouldn’t suit.” Shouted Tyrion.

Jaime sighed and rolled his eyes then moved Brienne aside so he could open the door. Brienne blushed intensely into the corridor, well aware of how ravished they both looked. “The Queen and I are busy” Jaime drawled smugly. After he slammed it on Tyrion’s wide eyed face, it was Brienne’s turn to push him up against their door.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading :) Constructive criticism is much appreciated.


End file.
